When I click through the "permits" link for that on parcel viewer, there's nothing recent. This leads me to believe this renovation is NOT permitted by the city. I'd report it to 311. There's usually a reason people avoid getting permits...

DaveKCMO wrote:When I click through the "permits" link for that on parcel viewer, there's nothing recent. This leads me to believe this renovation is NOT permitted by the city. I'd report it to 311. There's usually a reason people avoid getting permits...

And reported.

Permits are all associated with the address of the property so it would be obvious if they existed.

I was primed to make another joke about the neverending Pickleman's project (as the posters covering the windows appear to have fallen down yet again recently), but I'll be damned - they were issued a new permit today.

They've had signs up on the railing for the past week or so that say "Under New Management / Extensively Remodeled", so I don't know if that's a step in getting consent, they got their liquor license back while appealing, or something else.

In the past 2-3 weeks (if not longer than that) Stanford's appears to have shut down again. Even if it was actually separated from Craig Glazer's management, I can't imagine it popping up again there (or anywhere else in the metro) with his death.

Any wagers as to what the next attempt at putting lipstick on that pig of a location will be?

Does anyone know what's up with 718 Grand? Years ago there was an announced residential conversion of the garage that never happened. Lately the building has been fenced off and some repair(?) work is being done. No permits that I can see on the parcel viewer. Last time I walked by I viewed it from the backside and it looked like it was maybe getting torn down?

That building, along with the cool 2 story historic Sanderson's Diner around the corner and the White Castle across the street, sold at auction several years ago to a cat named Monte. He is from Nebraska and wants to use real estate to enlarge the kingdom of God. I suppose he thinks God lives in Nebraska and not Kansas City, which is curious because I once watched a guy who looked like Jesus come out of 718 Grand and take a shit on the north side of that building. Besides Buffalo Hide or whatever they call it, he is letting the other buildings deteriorate beyond repair. The Sanderson's building has been open and neglected since the day he bought it and even Helen Keller could see that tons of people have been living rent free in these buildings, in unsafe conditions. I know people have offered to help him redevelop them. Both are a great loss.
if you'd like to give him what for:
402-202-1776Monte.Froehlich@usproperty.biz

I was told by one of the barbers at Buffalo mane that they looked to renovate it to move their barbershop there but it was already too far gone to save.... That was 3 years ago I think. Barbers aren't structural engineers though usually so probably just got that info from Ole Monte.

I almost feel like the person responsible for demolition permits should be an elected position, on the ballot for everyone to vote for/against. They almost have as much power for the future direction of the city than a council person.

I almost feel like the person responsible for demolition permits should be an elected position, on the ballot for everyone to vote for/against. They almost have as much power for the future direction of the city than a council person.

That'd probably create more problems than it'd solve. I could easily see a Shields-ite/HKC type gaining hold and strangling development where it's just starting to occur.

How about mandatory jail time for owners who buy perfectly good buildings and slowly let them deteriorate, neglecting them while simultaneously refusing to sell. I can hit 3 or 4 of these from my door with a golf ball, and I'm a shitty golfer. I could also find buyers for each of these, without any problem, at fair market value. If they were rehabbed, I could easily fill them with renters. It is frustrating as hell.

How about mandatory jail time for owners who buy perfectly good buildings and slowly let them deteriorate, neglecting them while simultaneously refusing to sell. I can hit 3 or 4 of these from my door with a golf ball, and I'm a shitty golfer. I could also find buyers for each of these, without any problem, at fair market value. If they were rehabbed, I could easily fill them with renters. It is frustrating as hell.

There has got to be some way to regulate/legislate our way out of this problem. An owner can sit on a property, sure, but allowing it to hopelessly deteriorate into demolition fodder should not be possible without extraordinarily stiff penalties.

As noted previously, loss of these buildings can potentially affect communities for decades, not to mention the nuisance that they represent while open to the elements, etc.

There has got to be some way to regulate/legislate our way out of this problem. An owner can sit on a property, sure, but allowing it to hopelessly deteriorate into demolition fodder should not be possible without extraordinarily stiff penalties.

We have tons of regulation. I would accelerate the process.

Like if you reach the top 5% of unpaid fines plus taxes you should have a year to fix all the issues cited and pay every dollar or the city starts the process to take the property.

This gives owners the incentive to make the piddly fixes like junk dumped in the yard or not being mowed and to make partial tax payments.